Green Matters™
by Crissy Trask
Welcome to my blog where I share almost anything I think will help make greener living undeniable and simple. News, tips, insight and resources served up weekly. I also share my perspectives on others' perspectives and actions. Agree or disagree, I hope you will find them thought-provoking and a starting point for conversation.
Previous Post...Next Post...Information on Reprints...2010 Blog
JUNE 15, 2009 Avoid hot car syndrome to reduce emissions, increase
comfort
Trying to cool down a car that has been parked in the sun will force your air conditioner to work harder, wasting fuel and increasing carbon dioxide emissions (not to mention make you uncomfortable and cranky). The easiest way to avoid returning to a hot car, is to not take one to your destination in the first place, but sometimes driving is necessary, so the next best thing is to seek out a nice shady parking spot. Unfortunately, shade is often scarce-- especially in sprawling parking lots and new developments where trees occupy a small fraction of the real estate compared to asphalt, concrete and turf. The problem is compounded by the fact that trees present in these environments are either dwarf species or just too young to throw down much shade.
In
the absence of shade for your vehicle, you'll need a system the
can reflect as much of the sun's solar heat energy away from
it as possible. If State law permits its use, reflective window
tint can be effective at re-radiating much of the heat absorbed
by window glass back outwards towards its source. The best reflective
window tints block both ultra-violet and infra-red rays. Again,
state laws will determine maximum reflective rates.
Even where auto glass coatings are allowed, windshields are typically excluded, so a properly fitting sunshade for the windshield is a must for any car that will be parked in the sun repeatedly and for long periods at a time. Cheap $10 sunshades aren't likely to fit well and therefore won't work well either. Order a sunshade that is designed for the make, model and year of your vehicle. Covercraft's Custom UVS Heat Shield is one example. Protecting vehicle windows in this way will keep a sun-assaulted car's interior 40% to 60% cooler; protect the condition and life of leather, vinyl or fabric surfaces inside the vehicle and reduce AC use.
You'll pay up to $50 for a good sunshade and $250 to $500 for professionally installed reflective window tinting, but the system can pay for itself in one summer due to reduced AC use and gas consumption.
2009 BLOG INDEX
Posts by Topic
Air Quality
6/8/09, Leaf Blowers:
An Environmental Nightmare
Cleaning
4/14/09, Don’t
Be So Quick to Blame the Low-Phosphate Detergent
Energy
7/6/09, It’s Summer
Time and the Livin’ is ‘Green’!
4/7/09, Window Films Can Lower Your
Cooling Bills and Your Tax Liability
3/14/09, Bundle Your
Gadgets
Food
10/27/09, Super
Freakonomics Authors Come Down Hard on Local Food
10/22/09, Hey Foodies, What
Are You Feeding Your Pets?
Green Terms
5/26/09, A Closer Look
at the Definition of “Recycled” and Some Other “Re”
Words
Plastic, and other Trash
7/13/09, Will a
Ban on Bottled Water Lad to Bad Beverage Choices?
4/22/09, Bottled Water
Gets Reinvented
3/2/09, Inefficient Packaging
Awards (No. 1)
Perspectives
9/14/09, Gullibility
is Derailing Progress
8/24/09, Check
Your Lifestyle Before Bragging About Recycling
8/19/09, Simple
Solutions Won’t Work Alone: Comprehensive is the True Agent
of Change
2/22/09, The Unhappiest Generation
2/12/09, Inauguration
Attendees Fail to Demonstrate Change
Reduce
8/5/09, Direct
Mail Marketers Want to Force Junk Mail on Us
3/21/09, Better
Yard Sales
1/25/09, Wasting Trees:
Why I Hate Junk Mail
Reuse
10/14/09, Wrapping
with Your Butcher
5/7/09, Craigslist Buyers are A Flakey Bunch on the Whole
Recycling
6/22/09, Not
Separating Your Recyclables from Your Trash Can Hurt
3/4/09, Recycle Your
Water Filters
Transportation
6/15/09, Avoid
Hot Car Syndrome to Reduce Emissions…and Discomfort
Water
3/27/09,
Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a
Drop…
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